Seventh Year Struggles
by Mrs Jace Wayland-Herondale
Summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, the school has decided to open it's gates to change. Amelia is a seventh year muggle-born who has always dreamed of attending Hogwarts. When she transfers to Hogwarts she quickly makes friends with Harry, but what happens when she's sorted into Slytherin? Draco Malfoy may just be the friend she needs, if only he would open up to her.
1. Prologue

My name is Amelia Tennant. I am seventeen years old, and I should be in my junior year of high school. I live in a nice three bedroom house in Napa Valley with my parents, two siblings, and two cats. My parents, Rose and David Tennant, are pretty cool. My mom is a stay at home mom, and my dad is a scientist with a PhD in Physics. Yes, he's a doctor, and yes, he's kind of crazy; he even has an obsession with time and dimensions. But, he's an awesome father and he's around a lot more than you'd think a research scientist would be.

I have a sister named Clara, and she's a weird little one. She's thirteen, so she's at that age where she hates everyone and everything; oh and don't forget that she's _always_ right- like, seriously, _always._ She's sort of a bitch, but if I were to say that out loud I'd have my ass handed to me. My brother Matt, on the other hand, is awesome. He's way older than me; well only five years older but still; he's away at college.

Thor, my completely idiotic, stupid, _imbecile_ of a cat, is coincidentally my favorite; he's my baby and I wouldn't trade him for a life-time supply of butter beer (Okay, maybe I would, but it won't ever happen, so it's okay, right?). Sagwa is our other cat, and she's the sweetest thing in the world unless you piss her off. She'll give you the 'brown eye' as dad calls it, for a week if you leave her alone overnight. She doesn't care much for me, but that's fine, because I have my little shit head. Either way, I can always use a charm to make Sagwa to be nice to me, or for Thor to chill out. (Catnip usually works too, though).

Oh, I think I might have forgotten to mention something kind of vital to the story. Yeah, I'm kind of a witch. Wands, and robes, and cauldrons ( _oh my)_. I go to the New York Institute of Magic, but this year, I enrolled in a foreign-exchange program, and in a few days, I leave for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	2. Chapter 1: Diagon Alley

**Here's the first chapter of my new story! Hope you all enjoy, I've been writing it for a while with the help of my best friend- she came up with the idea for a punky-muggle-born-sassy wizard, and I did too! Thanks to Mortal Wonderland for beta-ing (:**

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"Just stop!" I hiss to my sister, who is currently pushing her elbow over into mine on the small armrest that separates me from her in the cramped economy seats of the plane. The whole ride over, she's been nothing but trouble, pissing me off, as well as a few other people. She keeps fidgeting in her seat and moving around the movie screens that are on the back of each seat.

"Shut up!" she grumbles back. I guess she kinda has a reason to be nervous- she's an absolutely horrible flyer. "I feel like I'm going to be sick," she says for the billionth time, clutching at the plastic barf bag that she hasn't needed. As if he senses all the commotion, Thor meows from his tiny carrier under the seat. Luckily, this airline accepted small pets so long as they're quiet. Thank Merlin catnip calms him down instead of riling him up. I lean down and pet him through the prison bars of the cage and give him some catnip and water before getting readjusted and trying to relax a little.

We had to drive an hour from where we live in San Jose, to San Francisco International. The whole family- excluding Matt- is coming with me out to London where we'll spend a few days as a little vacation before I have to leave for Hogwarts. Yippee.

Shopping in Diagon Alley with the whole family will be great. So much fun.

Not really.

The flight was about sixteen hours total and it was horrible. We left San Fran at 12:30 in the afternoon, and landed at 11:45 the next morning. I just made sure to pull an all nighter the night before we left so that I could sleep the whole plane ride and hopefully be a little less jet lagged when we landed. It didn't work at all. I was groggy, stiff, and I had a pounding headache that just wouldn't go away. Needless to say, I was a wreck when we landed and finally got our baggage; mine was the easiest to find since it was a nice, dark-wooden trunk with my initials decorating it rather than a suitcase. Yeah, I definitely got a few weird looks for it. No, I did not give a shit.

After a long taxi ride filled with honking and swerving in the crazy lunch time traffic, we got to the hotel and settled in. I just wanted to lay in the surprisingly comfortable hotel bed and sleep, but my mom and sister want to go shopping, so I am forced to go with them, as is my father.

"We might as well get my school shopping done- I've always wanted to go to Diagon Alley," I say before grabbing my bag and checking to make sure my money was there; I had some left over from the last school year, but I'd need to visit Gringott's to exchange some American money for the Wizarding kind… I also need to make sure that my family stays outside when I do that. My sister will ridicule them and my dad will probably want to take them in to a lab and examine them, which I'm sure they will not appreciate.

When our cab turns onto Charing Cross Road, I ask it to stop about halfway down the small street. My sister and I hop out and I check the street numbers before I start walking in the right direction.

"I'm so excited!" Clara gushes, linking her arm with mine. Her mood swings are so weird, but I'll happily take a cheery sister over a grouchy one. We get along really well when she's not in a bad mood, actually.

"Me too, I've never been here, remember?" I say pointedly.

"Well yeah, I know, but you've been to other magical shopping places," she says with an eye roll. I stop in front of a dingy-looking shop with a sign above the door that reads The Leaky Cauldron. Clara grimaces at the place and turns to me. "This is the place?"

I ignore her as we wait for my parents to catch up. When they ask the same thing I explain to them how it's just the entrance- the only way to get into Diagon Alley unless you Apparate or use the Floo. Considering I can't Apparate for another week, and there's no Floo Network that we can access, this is the only way in. I sigh and go through the door, holding it open for them.

The Leaky Cauldron isn't dirty or gross per se, but it's very old with outdated armchairs, tables, and decorations. It's also really dim and the paint on the walls is peeling. Not dirty at all, just dark and gloomy. Doesn't matter though, because I quickly ask where the entrance to Diagon Alley is and the bartender points me in the right direction.

We walk around a few tables, getting a few dirty looks from witches and wizards that are lounging around the place; damn purebloods are so judgmental.

The door on the wall next to the bar opens into a small courtyard with light filtering down from the sky above. The only things in the courtyard are a trash can and a broom- Not a flying broom, but the kind you actually use to clean. I pull out my wand from my purse and face the wall square on and tap the bricks, moving in a counter clockwise circle. We all stand together, watching in excitement as the first brick pushes itself back until a small hole is revealed. From there, the bricks clack and grind against each other in a rotating movement until an archway wide enough for two people to walk through side by side appears.

I eagerly step through, dragging my mom and sister behind me, leaving my dad to cautiously tap on the bricks before walking through. His glasses slide down his nose as he turns and scrunches his face up, staring as the arch closes up after us. I laugh and look forward, taking in the whole thing.

Shops line both sides of the narrow street, bells tingling as people come and go through the doors. Owls fluttered overhead, cooing and squawking, and Clara looks up before quickly covering her head in case one decides to shit on her. In the window of one of the shops near us is a bunch of odd silver things moving and spiralling around on little stands, and then a shop that sells quills and parchment. I still don't really understand why the Wizarding world uses parchment paper and quills still instead of binder paper and pens.

As we walk through, all of us taking it in stride, I look down at my ripped skinnies and a t-shirt with a flannel. I definitely feel out of place among all the robed witches and wizards. I should have worn mine, but they all have the crest of the Institute on them; I doubt anybody would appreciate that.

"Alright, um, robes. I need some new robes," I mutter, looking around for a shop. There was Madam Malkins and Twilfitt & Tattings, but seeing as everyone in the latter store looked snobby, I quickly decided that I'd rather go to Madam Malkins. Mom and Clara had wandered off, though they won't be able to buy anything with Muggle money. "I don't think it's such a good idea that they're alone," I say skeptically as dad and I watch them go into Magical Menagerie, a place that sells all sorts of magical animals. He looks at them and back at me, pushing his glasses up in the process.

"Would you like me to go with them?" he asks. I'm not so sure that would be a great idea either…

"Sure, why not?" I smile. "Oh wait! Here. Remember, A Galleon is about $7.50. A Sickle is 50 cents, and a Knut is about 5 cents. The exchange rate is really weird, but just tell them you're not used to using this currency. You'll probably get dirty looks, but hey, whatever," I say and give him a handful of coins for food or whatever they want to get.

"You sure Amy?" he says with raised brows. I don't ever give people money just because. Like, ever.

"You can pay me back, don't worry!" I say before turning in my converse and leaving him to my mother and Clara. Finally I can get something done! I go to Madam Malkin's and get five plain black robes for school.

"Don't ya need your house emblems on them?" she asks as she runs a measuring tape along my arms, torso and legs. I shrug and look at the options tacked up on the wall. Green and silver for Slytherin House; red and gold for Gryffindor; blue and bronze for Ravenclaw; yellow and black for Hufflepuff. The mascots for each are a snake, a lion, a raven, and a badger respectively.

"I'm doing a foreign exchange so I guess I'll be placed in a house when I get there," I say. Though Slytherin has always caught my interest: they're dark and mysterious, but most of them are assholes and pureblood. Definitely not Hufflepuff- they're too soft and sweet; so not for me. Maybe Ravenclaw if I could keep my grades up; I'm better with practical magic and life skills. Besides, who really needs to know the year that the first broomstick was created, or math? I mean, sure, I need to know how to count out measurements for Potions, but that's about as practical as it gets. Plus, I really hate math.

"Oh! Well, I'm sure you could get the emblems when you're sorted and there's a nice little shop in Hogsmeade that'll sew them in for you," she says with slight accent and a pat on the shoulder, letting me know she's done sizing me. "Where are you from?" She flicks her wand and my robes come floating from a room in the back.

"Uh," I say, not sure if she'd even know the place since she's a witch. "The United States. I live in California, right by San Francisco, I don't know if you know where that is," I laugh nervously.

"Of course! The place with the bay and the great red bridge?" she beams.

"Yeah, it's called the Golden Gate Bridge. Even though it's red." She laughs and shakes her head, muttering silly muggles under her breath. "Well, thanks for the help," I say, paying for the robes and leaving. Next stop is Flourish and Botts for my books. I already got a list of core classes for my seventh and final year at school, but not my exact schedule.

Considering the huge war- that thank God, Merlin, the Easter Bunny and Santa or whoever is out there- didn't really affect anybody in North America, the damage to Hogwarts was devastating. The whole place was practically in ruins. Tons of witches and wizards from all around came out that summer to help repair the place, though I know it's still got a long way to go. Thankfully they're still continuing on with the school year. I still wonder why they're starting a foreign exchange program this soon, but I'm also sort of grateful since it'll be my final year. It's going to be tough, I'm sure, but I hope that this year won't be completely horrible.

Old Voldy is dead, and most of his Death Eaters are rounded up and in prison, awaiting the Dementor's Kiss. PTSD must be a huge problem right about now, too. Why did I even want to go, the place is going to be a mess!

"Damn it," I mutter, walking into the shade of the buildings. I pull my medium-length dark red hair- yes, I'm a ginger (thanks to hair dye)- up into a bun and lean against the brick storefront, closing my eyes. "I can do this. It won't be so bad. Maybe everyone will just forget about it all…" Yeah, fat chance of that.

I take a few deep breaths before turning and continuing on to get my books. I will see this through to the end.

"Gin?" I faintly hear someone call out. People pushed by on both sides and I have to squeeze through between some stacked up crates and a group of young, annoying witches. I guess teenagers are the same, even in the magical community.

I feel a hand clamp down tightly on my shoulder and my hand flies to my wand in the side pouch of my purse. I have it out and pointed at the person who grabbed me- a boy about my age with dark hair and bright green eyes that looks really familiar. His smile slowly falls as he looks at me and takes his hand away, holding it up in defence. I raise my brows and shake my head expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"Er, sorry, I thought you were someone else," he says with a shaky laugh. "Sorry 'bout that," he repeats. I slowly lower my wand and he lowers his hand, bringing it up to push his nerdy round glasses up his nose. When he does, his hair is jostled a little, showing a little bit more of his forehead. Above his right eyebrow is a very prominent scar. In the shape of a lightning bolt.

Oh God. Harry Potter, right here, right now, staring at me as I gape at him.

"Holy shit!" I whisper with wide eyes. I wish I could take out my phone and get a picture with him. He's a celebrity. He's Harry fucking Potter. He defeated the Dark Lord. He stopped a whole war. Well, he finished a war. A boy, only seventeen years old.

His wary smile drops a little when he realises that I recognise him. Not good.

"Um, hi. Sorry for waving my wand in your face," I say carefully. Why didn't he pull his wand on me? I guess after facing the ultimate bad guy, a sixteen year old girl with a wand isn't that intimidating.

"That's alright." British accent. Damn. Hot damn. "I startled you, it's entirely my fault," he smiles and I find myself grinning back. Okay, yes, I'm a little star struck. Who wouldn't be?

"Who did you think I was? Not many people have red hair, ya know," I say conversationally. Hopefully he won't leave; this is like a once in a lifetime chance to talk to him. I highly doubt he's going back to Hogwarts after all that's happened. "Well, except for your friends, the… Weasley's?" I say, trying to act like it took me a second to figure out who they were. I don't wanna seem like I know everything about him, even if it's all over The Prophet.

"Yeah, Ginny Weasley. Your hair's a lot darker red, though. I guess I just didn't notice it," he smirks, gesturing at my messy red hair piled atop my head.

"Oh, uh, thanks?" I say questioningly. He nods and we stand for a second in awkward silence. "Oh! Uh, I'm Amelia Tennant," I say, holding out my hand. He shakes it carefully but firmly, and I notice the lean muscles on his arms; nice.

"Harry Potter," he laughs, showing his teeth. I laugh too and nod my head.

"I know. Took me a minute, but yeah," I say.

"You're not from around here, yeah?" he says.

"I'm from the U.S. California, actually," I nod my head and scan the crowd before meeting his eyes again.

"Oh, I could tell. You have a terrible accent," he says.

"I have an accent?! You should hear yourself, man!" I laugh loudly, looking around again. I hope my parents are handling themselves fine.

"I'm sorry, I'm holding you up. It was nice meeting you, Amelia," he says with a nod.

"Oh, no it's fine! And call me Amy. My parents and sister came here with me, and, well, they're Muggles," I say. "I kind of just gave them some money and told them to stay out of trouble. And Knockturn Alley," I say sheepishly.

"You just let them go on their own? Aren't you worried?"

"Yeah, but I think they can take care of themselves." Harry nods and sticks his hands halfway in his pockets, his shoulders lifting and falling in a fidgety movement. "I'm hoping to get some of my school shopping done while they explore." His head snaps up and his hands leave his pockets.

"Is there anything I can help you find?" he says curiously.

"Looky here, the famous Harry Potter offering to help me shop for books. A dream come true," I say, holding my hands to my heart in a sarcastic way. He rolls his eyes and starts walking, looking back to see if I follow. Of course, I do.

"Where are we goin', Mr. Potter?" I ask.

"You said you need books. Seventh Year, right? I need to get my books, too," he says, making me stop momentarily before continuing before he notices. He's going back to Hogwarts?

"I didn't think you'd go back to graduate," I murmur, mostly to myself but he nods.

"Me neither. I figured I'd just work at the Ministry until I could start Auror training, but I sort of changed my mind. Going back for my N.E.W.T's and to graduate." Wow. We enter a small bookstore with tall, crammed in bookshelves and browse around for a bit.

"Ahh, well, good luck. My friend that was a year ahead of me just about hemorrhaged because she was so stressed about the tests last year," I say.

"You're not taking them?" he asks as I start grabbing the books I need.

"Oh, I am. I'm just not too worried. If I bomb it, I have my back-up plan. I did really well on my O.W.L's, so I can get a good job with that. Plus, I don't know if I even want to go into a magical profession," I say and back up to eyeball the purple velvet-covered book that I need. It's way higher than I can reach. "Can you?" I ask, looking from Harry to the book. Seeing as he's a little too short, he pulls out his wand and summons the book. It almost hits him in the face.

"Defeats Voldy, but can't summon a book without almost killing himself? Ouch," I say with a smirk. His lips quirk up in a semi-smile, something mischievous in his eyes. Before I know it the book is flown back up to the shelf from whence it came. Great.

"Oh, c'mon, dude!" I say in frustration. He smirks. "Ass." I pull out my wand and summon the book to me, which I could've done in the first place, really. Don't know why I didn't think of it.

"Don't make fun of me. I'm Harry Potter, you know. I wouldn't have let it really hurt you, though." Wow. That's so reassuring.

"Doesn't help my sore stomach," I mutter as I pay for my books, ignoring the cashiers 'have a nice day'.

"Rose!" the familiar voice of my father calls from a few shops away. I look up and wave.

"That's my dad, I gotta go," I say to Harry with a sad smile. "See you at school."

"Wait, did you get assigned to a House in your Hogwarts letter?" Oh, that.

"No, and I'm not really sure how this'll work. Madam Malkins said I might be sorted with the First Years?" I say, not sure if it is true or not. He nods, thinking on it.

"Yeah, that sounds right," he says. "Oh, and a tip for when you go up there; the Sorting Hat will place you wherever you want to go. Don't be afraid to tell it what you want," he says with a smile.

"Cool, thanks. See you at school, Potter!" I say with a small wave before turning and leaving, my cheeks blushing. I just spend a good half of an hour hanging out with Harry Potter. Damn, I'm lucky, I think as I head back to my parents, eager to get to school now that I've made a friend- a famous friend, no doubt.

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 _ **Let me know what you think, xo**_


	3. Chapter 2: The Hogwarts Express

_Hallo Hallo, anybody reading? Drop me a review and tell me what you think. Do you like Amelia so far?_

 _Fair warning, she's going to come off as bitchy because that's just her personality. Don't worry, though, she won't be a stone hearted bitch forever (;_

 _Thanks MortalWonderland! (:_

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September 1st. Today will be my first day as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm kind of nervous. Okay, so I'm extremely nervous, but really excited too. I have my trunk all packed up, and I'm ready to go by 9 o'clock.

Of course this means that Clara is nowhere near ready. I swear, if she makes me late to the station, I'll strangle her.

"Clara, I swear, if you don't hurry, I'll freaking stupefy you. And you don't want to know how that feels!" I bang on the bathroom door and plop back down on the bed, my trunk sitting beside it with Thor hiding under the bed. He'll be fun to get out later.

"Yelling ain't gonna make me go any faster!" she retorts, opening the door and pointing a makeup brush at me and waving it around. Scary.

"The train leaves at 11 sharp and the portal closes then. I have to be there before that!" I lay back and close my eyes. Why is she so stubborn? And annoying, and just stupid sometimes. Man, this kinda sucks. Thankfully the sound of a keycard being entered into the door crashes my little pity party and my parents walk in.

"Clara, get your ass out here!" my mom says lightly, knocking on the door for emphasis. Grumbling and cabinets being slammed sounds through the closed door and my sister emerges with a pissed off expression and her makeup bag in hand.

"I'm here! Damn. I'll finish my makeup in the car," she mutters, grabbing her purse and stalking out of the room.

I roll my eyes and gather my belongings, including Thor, and give the room a once-over for anything missing. Finally, we can leave!

My father thumbs through this wallet to pay for the cab while my mom and I pull out my shrunken-down school trunk from the back. Thankfully the American magical laws are a lot more lenient, and small charms and spells are okay to use. I don't think I could carry this damn trunk otherwise…

We enter the massive station, immediately being bumped into from every direction. Thor's place perched on top of my trunk was not a great place for him- he meowed and cried constantly with all the constant motion and noise. Poor baby. I take off my jacket and lay it over the kitty crate. He quiets down a little, the noise finally muffled.

"Excuse me, how can I get to platform 9 and 10?" I ask a crew worker nearby. He gives us directions, but I can hardly hear because Clara is in my ear trying to ask questions.

"Don't you need platform nine and three-fourths?" she asks. I shake my head and glare at her; the dude is giving us a funny look and I'm sure he heard her…

"Shut the hell up!" I hiss and give the man a smile, promptly leaving them all behind while dragging my bags. Idiots, I swear. They're so clueless now, but you can only imagine how they reacted when a representative was sent out to us to explain that I was a witch. My mother wanted to call the cops, but my father sat there wide-eyed and curious as always. You would think that the scientist would be the skeptic. It was all pretty scary, but it was absolutely awesome at the same time.

Now I'm here, almost six years later at the school of my dreams. When we started learning about the wizarding world and all the different laws, we also learned about other magical schools. Including Hogwarts, which is literally the best magical school on this planet. I think I might have done a happy dance when my exchange papers got accepted.

Anyways, by the time we make it to the correct terminals, its 10:45. Not cool. The train leaves at 11 sharp and the portal closes up. My father looks around, not seeing the obvious. I've done my research, and you have to go through the brick-wall barrier between terminal 9 and 10. I smile and brace myself, tentatively pushing the tip of my trunk through. When it gives and disappears partially, I look back at my family.

"Watch, and learn, Muggles!" before diving through quickly. All around me are witches and wizards in robes, and some in normal clothes as well. I look back but don't see my parents or sister coming through. I put my head close to the entrance while standing to the side so I don't get ran over. "C'mon you guys!"

"Amelia!" my mom frantically whispers back and it sounds as if it's coming from far away.

"Boo!" I yell and stick only my head through, making it look like I have no body. My father smiles and comes forward to touch the wall, watching his hand pass through in amazement before trying it with his foot. My sister laughs a little with wide eyes but steps forward nonetheless. In a rare moment of sisterly kindness, I reach out and take her hand, guiding her through.

"We need to hurry, the barrier is closing in a few minutes," I say when they're all through and looking around at the place. It has a much more whimsical feel to it than the rest of the station. Magic.

My parents peel their eyes from the different witches and wizards here to look at me. Go figure, my mom has tears in her eyes.

"Stop! No. Don't," I say to her in a firm voice. Tears are so not for me. "I'll be back for Christmas, okay? Just a few months," I say with a smile, glancing back at the gleaming red train and the conductors that are giving a last call for luggage.

My mom pulls me into a hug, sniffling into my hair and whispering at me to keep in touch. My dad pulls me in as well and swings me around before putting me down with a kiss to the forehead.

"So not gonna miss you," Clara says smartly with a sarcastic expression. I yank her to me and hug her tight. To be honest, I'll probably miss her the most; we fight a lot, but we also get along so well it's crazy. Very bipolar for us.

"Keep telling yourself that when you get back home without me," I laugh and pull away, grabbing my stuff and turning to the train.

"See you in December, my little Muggles!" I call as I hand my trunk to a conductor, keeping Thor in his carrier with me. I got a lot of odd glances from people, but I don't really care. I step up into the train and go down the corridor, leaning out an empty window to see my parents one last time before we depart. We wave and my mom has tissues in her hand, crying and waving frantically. The train lurches forward and I drop the cat carrier with a thump and it pops open, Thor darting out.

"Shit!" I duck down and try to catch him, but it's no use. He's gone. Ah well, he'll be back, I'm sure of it. I sigh and pick up his stuff and my button-covered backpack. It features Godsmack, A Day To Remember, Fall Out Boy, 5 Seconds of Summer, and All Time Low. All of my favourite bands in one collage of awesomeness.

"I think this fell off of your bag," a slightly familiar voice says as I stand up with my stuff in hand. Harry Potter, once again!

"Hey! Didn't think I'd see ya so soon," I say with a wide smile. He laughs and hands me the Green Day pin.

"I wasn't lying when I said I was coming back to finish up and take N.E.W.T.'s," he says while I place the pin back and sling it over my shoulder. "Where's your cat?" he asks curiously, eyeing the empty cage.

"I dropped it and he got away," I say with a shrug. "I put a charm on him when I got him; he'll find his way back to me."

"Nice," he says and nods his head toward the aisle between the private compartments. "Wanna come sit with me and my friends?"

"Sure!" I follow him back, stopping occasionally so he can say hi to people. Always the celebrity.

I look out the window while Harry chats with yet another person. In the distance I can see London, but it's quickly fading and the greenery becomes more prominent until there is nothing but trees and ponds, all zooming by quickly. It's so beautiful.

"Amy?" Harry says while tentatively resting a warm hand on my forearm propped on the window.

"Hm?" I hum, prying my eyes from the scenery to look at him. He stands there, his dark hair pushed back off of his forehead. "Sorry. It's so pretty."

"Yeah, it is," he says, joining me at the window. "What's it like where you live?"

"Well, it's just normal I think. I live in a newer housing complex, so all the yards are nice and green with some flowers and nursery-sized trees," I shrug. "This is still so much better- quieter, greener, and just peaceful."

"Yeah, I bet. I live in London, so it's pretty busy," he says. We look out the windows at the winding moors, lapsing into comfortable silence. Students are walking back and forth through the corridors, but none say a word to us thankfully. I don't think I'm really in the mood for a conversation, I'm too tired for that. After a few minutes, Harry steps back from the window, looking down the hall.

"Ron! Come here, meet my friend," he says. So much for no socialising.

"Harry," an orange-haired boy says, dragging it out. Harry reciprocates before they do that weird handshake/hug that guys do, clapping each other on the back.

"This is Amelia, she's the new foreign exchange!" Harry says with a great big smile. Ron looks at me with a confused look and nods as if not comprehending.

"Just Amy," I reach my hand out to shake. He takes it awkwardly.

"I'm Ron. You have a funny accent," he says with squinted eyes.

"And you have a funny face." Shit. I couldn't help it, I'm sarcastic when I don't know what to say. However, I keep my face clear of any signs that I even messed up. The boy rocks back on his heels and turns to Harry quizzically.

"I like her, she's quite funny," he says before turning back and giving me a cute half-smile. Harry and I burst out in laughter, me mostly to cover up my panic. I'll have to work on my people skills sometime.

"Nice to meet you, man," I say as Harry leads us down the corridor a few more cars.

"Go ahead," Harry says, gesturing to the car. "Be right in!" I turn and walk in.

"Harry, have you seen my Ancie-" she stops as she looks up. "Well, you're certainly not Harry."

"Nope!" I say with a smirk. So this is Hermione Granger, the perfect student. From everything I've read, I don't think I like her very much. Too much of a know-it-all.

Instead of introducing myself, I just sit down opposite of her and set down my cat carrier and backpack, securing the former above the seats in the luggage rack. I'm probably being rude, but like I've already stated, I'm not in the mood to socialise. Instead, I pull my phone out, along with a pair of headphones.

"Er, cell phones and electronics are not permitted on the train or at school," Hermione says awkwardly. I look straight at her with a blank face and shrug nonchalantly before putting in my headphones and cranking the music up.

I think I probably fell asleep, because the train makes a sharp bend and it jerks me awake. I dart up from where I lay across the seat with wide eyes and look around quickly. Shit. Nobody's in the car, but their stuff is still here.

I stand up and stretch, not taking out my earphones. When I check the time, it's only four in the afternoon; talk about a long ass nap! At least I don't feel so jet lagged anymore.

I move towards the car door and open it, peeking out into the hall, seeing nobody there. I guess things have mellowed out since we left the station. I sigh and go left down the wood panelled hall and let my eyes pass through the windows, searching for a familiar face. A few cars down, I spot Harry and that Hermione girl leaning in together and talking in hushed whispers, but I could hear them.

"She's so...so rude!" the girl stutters out angrily. She better not be talking about me. "With that fake red hair and snotty attitude." Oh really?

"She's not that bad, Mione!" Harry says and props his chin in his hand which is resting on his knee. I smile at that. Damn straight, I'm not snotty! I was just tired. "I promise. Just give the girl a chance! She's not from around here, she could use a friend."

"Right, right. Whatever you say Harry," she snaps. "She's a transparent slag!"

I may not know much about British slang, but I know what she meant by that, and let me tell ya, it wasn't very nice. I put on an extremely fake smile and put away my earphones, tapping on the glass. They look up, started and I give Harry a small wave. He smiles and stands to open the door.

"I've been looking all over for you!" I say. He smiles and apologises, while Hermione looks on with disgust written on her face. If a slag is what she thinks I am, then it's a slag I'll give her.

I beam up at Harry and shyly look down, and I know I've pissed her off by the way she stands so abruptly and says a stern goodbye.

"Oh, Hermione, right?" I ask. She stops and turns an annoyed glare on me. I lean out of the cart and keep my voice low when I speak.

"Next time, you might want to put a silencing charm on the compartment," I say and smirk at her surprise. She storms off with her head down, and I don't know whether to feel bad for being such a bitch, or extremely good.

Now that Hermione's gone, I relax and sit down across from Harry, staring him in the eyes.

"Where's your red-headed friend?" I ask. "He seemed a lot nicer," I say. Harry raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

"No clue. Have you found your cat yet?" he asks and sits back, his leg stretching out in the process.

"Ah, no, not really," I say nervously. It has been a few hours, huh? He's probably gotten himself in trouble by now.

"We'll be at Hogwarts soon, you should think of looking for him I think. I nod and close my eyes, wand already in hand and ready to go.

"We can do magic on the train, right?" I ask before casting. He says yes just a split second after. I don't care if I can't anyways, I don't fall under the Ministry of Magic's umbrella of 'protection.'

As the lovely Michael Clifford would say, I do what I want, I'm punk rock.

Sadly, the very tired looking Harry doesn't offer to help me, probably because I'm the one with the tracking spell, but whatever. Oh, well.

"Adventure Time!" I mutter, before saying bye to Harry and standing in the hallway once again. I face one way, then the other to check the 'signal'. The tip of my wand glows brighter when I face the right, so I go down that way, peeking into each compartment as I go. I get to the end and have to step over into the whole next train car, which is kind of scary, might I add.

In between the cars is a little platform, about three feet wide with rails on each side, but the rest is open and it's windy as hell, not to mention a lot more unsteady than inside. Like a real train. I quickly move along, but what I wanna know is how the hell Thor got all the way over into the next car. He's a major pussy. Literally and figuratively; he's a wimp.

The next car is a bit more dim, but it looks cooler by far. Darker wood, green curtains halfway open, and the corridor was empty. Sure, it was a little creepy, but I could definitely find myself an empty cart and nap the rest of the way.

Instead, I kept going, looking around for dumbass. I eventually peek through one of the windows and see him, curled up in some dude's lap.

Okay. Not just some dude, but a really cute blonde boy. A really really cute blonde boy who looks about my age! He's super pale and has weird, yet oddly attractive, white blonde hair that splays across his forehead. And he's obviously a cat person considering how he's loving on Thor. I can't even do that, what the fuck?

I straighten myself out- they're Slytherin's, they're not gonna take me seriously if I'm some mousy little red-head. Do I just dive in? I should. Okay. Go!

I quickly slide open the compartment door, my wand at my side. There is the blonde boy holding Thor, plus a girl with ugly frizzy brown hair and a pig nose and another dark haired boy. Thor's head snapped up with the rest of theirs, but while he looked curiously at me, the people either glared or sneered.

Especially the girl; her fancy robes make her look like one of those Richie Rich pure-blood preps, but I can't tell what she's going for with the hair. She grimaces as she looked me up and down, snorting at my ripped jeans and Incubus shirt. Snooty bitch.

I glare back before moving my eyes onto the cute white-blonde haired boy, and am met with cold grey eyes. They're pretty but he seems like a douche. Damn.

"Yeah, hi. Nice to meet you too," I say sarcastically and lean against the door jamb. "Can I have my cat back? How the hell'd you find him anyways?"

"Well I'd like to think that he found me," says the blonde with a smirk. A sexy smirk. "Draco Malfoy." Ohh, a Malfoy. Ex-Deatheaters. No wonder he looks so cold- he's probably all messed up in the head by now; at least they tried to get away while they could- looks like only Draco did, though.

"Well, I'd like to take him back now, thanks," I say. "C'mon fat boy!" I say to Thor, clapping my hands. He hops down happily from Draco's lap, leaving white fur all over his black robes. Good boy.

"Oi!" The dark-haired boy yelled before I could leave. "Show some respect!"

"'Scuse me?" I turn slowly, my head cocked slightly in annoyance. "Sweetie, didn't your mother ever teach you about respect?" I say sharply. Asshole isn't going to try to intimidate me before my first day starts. "It's earned, not given."

My moods can be either night or day; If you're nice, then I'm nice. If you're rude, then I'm rude. Simple as that, really.

He gapes at me with an open mouth and I just laugh and turn away. Big bad Slytherins can't hold their own anymore, can they? That's a damn shame.

By the time the train stops, I've gotten Thor into his carrier, and changed into warm robes with a black skirt, white button-up, and converse. I've even gotten to talk to Ron a little more, which was nice; he's hilarious, and nice too. I could tell Hermione did not like that, though. Oh well.

The air is cold and it's a little windy, so I, like everyone else had my cloak buttoned up high, and I had to carry Thor at my side under it. He'd freak out with all the wind and noise. Getting away from where everyone is crowded along the side of the train is a pain in the ass, but we make it, only to have Harry stop our small group.

"'Arry!" someone bellows and I have to literally crane my neck backwards to see him. It's not like with a person who's a foot taller and you have to look up a little. I have my head leaned back, my neck is probably at a 90 degree angle with my back.

The man, who looks like a giant, or half giant, is standing there, smiling down at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but not seeing me at all. I think that's good because he's twice as tall as a normal person, and wider than Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I put together. He looks intimidating with a huge moleskin overcoat and long black hair tangled into his beard. Creepy.

But, when he starts talking, I can tell he's harmless.

"Harry, how are ya?" he says and pulls Harry into a hug. I can hardly see him when he does. Harry replied with a laugh and turns towards our group, me standing in the back. His eyes lock with mine and I shake my head. He smirks and turns to the giant man.

"Hagrid, this is my new friend, Amelia!" Harry says in his cute little British accent. "She's the foreign exchange from America."

"Amelia! That's a right purdy name, ain't it?" he says with a deep chuckle and holds his hand out to shake. Good God, he wants me to shake his hand?...

Either way, I still step forward and reach out, but unsure what to grab, I settle for a single finger because that's all I can get. He gently grasps my hand and shakes it, not once using too much pressure or hurting me at all. His toothy grin- teeth missing and all- beams down on me and I can't help but smile back; he's a sweetheart!

"Just Amy, please," I say shyly, setting down the cat cage on the ground with a clank.

"'Course, 'course. What ya got in the crate?" He asks, referring to the blue cat cage peeking out from the edge of my cloak. I reach down and pull the crate out, earning a cry of protest from Thor as the cold hits him. I carefully open the cage and drag Thor out, letting him curl into me for warmth.

"This is Thor, my baby!" I say and rock him like the baby he is. "Do you wanna hold him?"

Hagrids hands come out and I set Thor in them, knowing he won't be hurt. The white and black cat cries, but not from Hagrid, for which I'm glad; It's just cold and he's cranky. He must work with animals a lot, because Shithead just shuts up and cuddles.

"He likes you!" I say with a smile and cross my hands under my arms for warmth. It's absolutely freezing!

"Looks so, eh?" he says gruffly, petting Thor behind the ears. "You kids get goin'! The carriages are leavin'," he says with a nod towards the road. All I can see is the train, the carriages, and the little town of Hogsmeade behind us. Where's the castle?

I put Thor away and we say goodbye, Hagrid saying it was nice to meet me. He's so sweet! Like a big biker who's really just a teddy bear!

"Alright, let's go," Ron mutters, keeping his head down against the wind. "Hey Amy?"

"Yeahhh?" I ask.

"Do you know what Thestrals are?" he asks. I look at him, confused. Why would that matter?

"Yeah, why? Only people who've seen someone die can see them, right?" I confirm. Harry nods and Hermione glares. Ugh.

"Just curious. Have you…?"

"Seen someone die? No," I say with raised eyebrows. What the hell is he tripping on?

Harry lets out a breathy laugh, the white cloud of warm air quickly evaporating. "The carriages are pulled by Thestrals; we didn't want you freaking out if you didn't know what they were," he says.

"Oh, well, don't worry I won't be able to see 'em."

"Just making sure. They're a bit odd-looking," Harry adds on, falling into step with me while the other two walk ahead.

"Thanks." Wow. That was lame; now's not the best time to be socially awkward. Keep it cool, ice cool, Starbucks-frappuccino-on-a-hot-day cool.

"Are you nervous to be sorted with all the first years?" he asks and nudges my shoulder. Damn boy needs to limit his contact; heart palpitations are not healthy.

"Uh, kind of, but not really. I don't really care, I guess," I shrug. It honestly doesn't matter to me, because no matter what I'm gonna be all weird and nerdy. I just don't think I fit into the cloaks and bubbling cauldrons and pointy hat category of witches. I'm more of the laid-back, don't-give-a shit-witch. That probably has to do with my Muggle upbringing, though; not like I care!

"What if you get sorted into Slytherin?" he asks, challenging me. Damn. Well, I did pretty well earlier, but I'd have to put Thor in a bubble so nobody tries to kill him or something,

"Actually, I'd be fine with that, too. I like green," I say with a smug smile. "Plus, I found my cat in the Slytherin car earlier; he was getting all lovey dovey with some white-blond haired prick. Well, he looked like a prick."

"Malfoy," he muttered, his pretty green eyes looking at the ground now. Bad relations, I've heard. "Watch out for him, he's no good."

"Thanks mom, but I can take care of myself, thank-you-very-much!" I say sarcastically, even though in all honestly that kinda pissed me off. Who is he to tell me who not to become friends with? I mean, I know the Malfoy's were associated with the Deatheater's, but still, it's not Harry's place at all.

"No problem," he murmured and hopped up into the Thestral (that I can't see) drawn carriage, not even offering a hand. How kind.

Thankfully my fellow ginger (even though mine is fake) reaches down and offers a hand for me to latch onto and pull myself up with. I give him a smile and sit on the other side of him; Hermione is sitting closely to his other side. How cute; maybe they are together? Confirmation comes when the girl looks me straight in the eyes before grabbing Ron by the neck and bringing his lips to hers in a short, fervent kiss.

I roll my eyes and resist the urge to applaud for her. She might as well make it worth my while and piss on him too; properly mark the territory and whatnot. I've decided that she's too much of a jealous, stuck up person and I don't like her. I'm not much into giving rude people the benefit of the doubt.

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 _Let me know what you think! xo_


	4. Chapter 3: Sortings and Snobs

**Hey guys, 3rd chapter! If you want to read ahead, I have 7 chapters up on Wattpad, at MrsJaceWaylandHeron so you can check it out there if you want to read ahead. Leave me a review and tell me what you think! (:**

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To say that the castle was breathtaking would be the world's biggest understatement. It was dark and alluring, but at the same time gorgeous and whimsical. It sparkled under the full moon, the lights twinkling down onto the lake and gently carrying the small First Years across to their new home.

The old spires soared up and cut into the sparse clouds, making it that much more mysterious. Even from this far away, a mile or so, the ancient slabs of stone were prominent; ragged and unkempt in some areas, and smooth in others. The work put into repairing the castle after the Battle of Hogwarts did not go unnoticed by me. It must've taken a while to get everything functioning once more… But it showed the struggles that this place had been through, and overcome. It's the holiest place of learning in the wizarding world, and yet, it feels very homey.

Home. That was a way to put it; it looked so inviting, like it's been waiting for you for years, just to take you in and warm you up. It nearly brought tears to my eyes; I've never felt so comfortable and loved in my whole life, not even in my own home with my family who raised me. It's just… so much more. More than I expected, and definitely more than I am ready for.

The quiet conversations around me are next to nonexistent the entire ride up the cobbled path from Hogsmeade to the school, until it comes to a stop. The carriages end up doing a stop and go in front of the massive wooden doors of the entrance, letting students off carriage by carriage. Finally, ours halts and everybody jumps out.

"Harry?" I ask as he hops out. He turns to look at me up in the carriage. "Can you please…?" I ask awkwardly, holding out Thor's cage. His smile is dazzling as he takes the cat carrier, then offers me a hand to keep me steady as I hop off. Again, with the contact. It's infuriatingly amazing. And his hands are warm compared to mine; I'm surprised they haven't turned blue yet.

"Thank you," I drawl with a shy smile and take Thor back, who is whining and crying in his cage. I excitedly follow alongside Harry, just behind Hermione and Ron, the former chatting about school work. That's probably the last thing I want to think about, even though classes start tomorrow. Yay.

My head cranes backwards and all around me as I gaze upon the cavernous Entrance Hall, the beautiful arching hallways branching off into the castle. I turn around and see a large stained glass window depicting the ruins of an unrecognizable castle. A newborn Phoenix is among the rubble, spreading it's wings for the first flight. It's hauntingly beautiful, like fog receding into the tree line to reveal a crisp winter morning.

"It's wonderful, isn't it?" Harry asks quietly while looking up at the window with me. People push by all around us, but neither of us move.

"It is," I murmur back, sparing a glance in his direction. His green eyes are a tad dewy as he looks up. I return my gaze to the artwork and see a lake, recognizing it as the Great Lake on the south side of the castle. It's Hogwarts after the war.That makes the window all the more beautiful and inspiring; it's the birth of a new era. One without war, without Lord Voldemort, without fear.

In the far corner, among the rubble, are three small figures holding hands, looking over the damage. Almost as if they are the protectors of the castle. The only distinguishing parts are the hair. On figure has black hair, one has red hair, and the last has long, curly brown hair.

The Golden Trio, the Protectors of Hogwarts.

"Whose work is it?" I ask, turning to Harry finally. He looks at me and starts walking again, the wetness in his eyes gone, wiped clean like a chalkboard after class.

"Luna Lovegood. She was a close friend of mine. I'm not sure if she's coming back to finish, but she's been through a lot. She was ridiculed all throughout school, and then she was taken from her home and held hostage…"

"With Garrick Ollivander," I say, remembering reading article after article of everything that happened throughout the war… It was horrifying. That poor girl…

"Yes," instead of continuing the morbid conversation, I turn towards Harry to say bye.

"Thank you, Harry. For everything," I say with a sigh. "Ya know, for helping me in Diagon Alley and all that… and for keeping me company on the train. It was nice." I smile and look down before I can blush.

"Anything for a friend," he says with a cocky smile. "Better get going, the First Years are heading in." Harry points to the group of small eleven year olds shuffling in behind Headmistress McGonagall.

"See ya around, Potter!"

"Amelia," he yells my full name as I am walking away. "I really hope you get sorted into Gryffindor. Remember what I told you in Diagon Alley!" The Sorting Hat will place you wherever you want to go.

With that in mind, I enter the Great Hall alongside the newbies, but I'm sort of in the same boat with them, I suppose. I am completely new to this experience at Hogwarts, but not the wizarding world. Looking up, I can see the night sky, clear and smooth with the moon off in the distance. That's a pretty damn cool charm. The room is even bigger than the Entrance Hall with four long tables, one for each house, running the length of the room. At the far end is another long table, raised a bit higher for all to see; It's filled with older witches and wizards, probably the teachers.

I can see Draco Malfoy to my left, at the silver and green Slytherin table with his snotty smirk and crew of idiots. I mean, I knew most Slytherin's turned out to be followers of the Dark Lord, I didn't think it would be the whole entire student body. There are less than twenty people at that table, while the rest have mostly full tables. That's kind of sad. Those kids were raised by horrible people, so they never got the chance to be themselves. They're guilty by familial association.

I can't help to wonder what the elusive Draco Malfoy is really like, though. He's been the feature of many of the Prophet's exploits, including articles on his family's wealth, his charm and skill as a young wizard, and especially his association with the Dark Lord after the war settled. He's definitely good-looking if you're into the pasty bad boy. And his hair… I'll find out what product he uses by the end of the year; it looks so damned soft and smooth.

Anyways, Professor McGonagall steps up onto the raised platform and in front of a great podium where she clears her throat. In a thick Scottish accent, she begins her welcoming speech.

"Good evening, and welcome back to Hogwarts! I would like to welcome back all returning students, as well as the First Year students.

"You will find that Hogwarts has been through much change in the past year. The war raged on stronger than ever, and Lord Voldemort brought the savagery to our school, pillaging and destroying all that we hold dear. The war is over, and though the castle has been repaired, the memories will haunt us all. We shall not forget our fallen comrades, and we shall not let this war ruin what we have strived to achieve here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We will stand tall, we will stand proud, and we will stand together."

She, as well as many others, including myself, have tears in their eyes. The emotion and power behind her words are beautiful, and though I was not a part of this family throughout the bloody war, I feel as strongly about it as the rest. It was a horrible time. People died and lost family and friends, and yet here they are. Stronger than ever.

"It will be hard, but we will get through this. Together. Your house is your family, and you will create new bonds and friendships, and through that, you will move forward and you will succeed. My dear friend, and our late Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore once said, 'happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.'"

A roar of cheering and clapping and hugging and crying ensues, Professor McGonagall dabbing away her own tears with an old-timey handkerchief. Even I smile through shiny eyes and clap for the sake of clapping, if nothing else.

Nothing else matters but this fresh new moment in my life. A new beginning. A new school year with new people and opportunities, and I couldn't feel more delighted than I do at this very moment in time.

After the chatter and excitement of the speech dies down, McGonagall continues on with her speech, in a much brighter tone.

"That all being said, I believe now would be a splendid time to continue with the house sorting!" Again, students cheer, and clap while the first years look around and chatter nervously.

"Now, we have a few adjustments this year!" She says with a clap to gain attention again. "In order to bring more diversity into our old curriculum, Hogwarts is participating in a foreign-exchange program, and we are currently hosting a young lady in her Seventh Year from America! Now, I'm sure we will all be on our best behavior and treat Miss Amelia Tennant as one of our own. Come, dear, let us begin!" She says warmly and beckons me up to her. I entrust my cat to a sweet little First Year name Madeline who crouches down to pet Thor, and walk up the steps next to the podium and sit in the stool provided.

With the flourish of a wand, an old, dirty, brown pointed hat with a floppy brim is produced out of thin air and McGonagall holds it over my head before gently setting it down. At first, nothing happens. You can hear the whispers of students, but nothing more than that.

Then, a quiet whisper comes as I sit there, waiting for it to do whatever it's supposed to do.

"Well, what is it, then?" The voice is annoyed. I look over to Professor McGonagall, who stands a few feet away with her hands clasped in front of her.

"What?" I mumble back, confused as hell.

"Make up your mind, child! I can't sort you unless you decide," he says. What the hell? I guess I really do get to choose. "I don't have all night."

"How am I supposed to know? I don't really care!" I say.

"Oh, you don't care, is that right? Then you won't mind me putting you in…"

Maybe I should have just picked.

"SLYTHERIN!" Well, fuck. My mouth is hanging open in shock and I can't move until a few people clap unenthusiastically and the hat is taken off of my head. I slowly get up and go back down the center aisle, taking the cat carrier from the first year, and sparing a glance in Harry's direction. He sort of tries to smile but he looks sad.

He probably thinks I'm a lost cause if I ended up here. Why did I end up here? Why Slytherin? I mean, even if it was because I didn't pick, the sorting hat had to have had some sort of predisposition or intuition into my personality. What've I even done to be… to be shamed into this?

I turn away and continue walking down the row, turning to the right and going to the farthest table, where the rest of the Slytherin's sit. They glare at me in annoyance, and I set my face straight. They don't need to know how upset I am; they'll use it against me along with my blood status- I know how cruel these assholes can be- and that's the last damn thing I need.

So, I brace myself and walk along the table with cat in tow, sitting down in an empty spot. Of course, the snickering and whispering continues. It kind of pisses me off. I look up to see that girl from the Slytherin car earlier, glaring at me from a few seats away. She rolled her eyes before turning back to Draco Malfoy and saying something else, laughing obnoxiously. I will not let some pompous bitch do that in front of me.

I get up, leaving Thor there in my seat (there's so many protection spells on him already; none of these idiots could touch him). I stalk over to her and tap on her shoulder, plastering a fake smile on my face and leaning down to her height.

"Excuse me, what's your name?" I ask kindly. She snorts and looks away. "I asked you a question." She looks up again and replies.

"Pansy Parkinson, why the bloody hell does it matter to you, Mudblood?" she snarls. I smile again, then narrow my eyes.

"Well, Pansy, at least you have a fitting name," she looks confused. "Next time, if you have something to say, don't be a little bitch, and come say it to my face. Got it?" I ask, setting a clenched fist on the table and leaning closer to her face. She turns away, looking to Draco.

I look up and meet his amused grey eyes. This is supposed to be intimidating, not amusing… Though, I suppose being Voldemort's puppet makes a seventeen year old girl seem much less intimidating.

"I think you'll fit in here in Slytherin. You've got the attitude, that's for damn sure," he smirks and turns back to a boy on his other side. Pansy whacks him on the arm, hissing his name like he was supposed to scold me or something.

"Keep that in mind, got it Parkinson?" I say loud enough for a few other Slytherin's to overhear. And now, we sit back and let the rumours spread.


End file.
